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Tears Over Face Of Blind Dog Who Had Home and Family—But Lost Everything
A blind senior dog has gone from a happy home with his beloved human companion to losing everything in the space of just a week.
Susan Taylor, a volunteer at Benton Animal Services in Arkansas, posted a video to her TikTok @beforeIlearnedcivility, showcasing the plight of a dog staff affectionately named “Ray Charles.” “The shelter estimates him to be somewhere between 8 and 10 years old,” Taylor told Newsweek. “He was found when a family member called in a welfare check and the police discovered his person had passed away in the home.”
Ray Charles cuts a heartbreaking figure in the video Taylor posted online. Unable to see any of his new surroundings, with only his remaining senses available to guide him, the senior pup appears lost.
That was something Taylor was struck by from the moment she met Ray Charles. “He’s been in the shelter system before and vet records show he was born blind, so his eyes cause no physical pain. But his heart is clearly broken and he seems so confused as to why he’s in the shelter and not in his home,” she said.
Despite all of this, Ray Charles could not have been friendlier when Taylor offered to take him for a stroll. “He walked out of the kennel very slowly and gently with me and let me guide him to the yard for some fresh air,” she said. “He also gladly accepted being pet and loved on and was even happy to say hello to two shelter puppies nearby.”
In an ideal world, Ray Charles might have remained with his owner’s family but Taylor says they “could not take him in.”
It’s left the senior pup facing an uncertain future. The fact is that older dogs struggle more to get adopted than younger canines. It’s why, more often than not, long term shelter dogs tend to be older. A 2021 study published in the journal Animals found the majority of dogs classed as “long term shelter dogs” who had been their 12 months or more were “male and older.”
Ray Charles’ situation is complicated further by his disability. “He needs a home with someone who is patient and gentle and can help him learn a new, safe space,” Taylor said. “Blind dogs are typically very resilient and smart and can navigate their homes quite easily when we give them consistency.”
On top of that, Taylor believes Ray Charles requires someone with the care, patience and understanding to help this senior dog recover from the difficult end to his time with his previous human companion. “He definitely needs someone who can help him grieve and show him that there is still life and love for him to experience,” Taylor said. “He seems like he’d do well in a home with other dogs, but he’s going to need a lot of one-on-one attention to help heal his broken heart.”

The good news is that Taylor’s video showcasing Ray Charles’s sad reaction to being in the shelter, has caught the attention of many concerned animal lovers on social media. “Nothing would break my heart more than for me to die and my family not take in my dog. Poor baby,” one viewer wrote. “This literally crushes me. How can family be so cruel when you pass away. The only right thing to do is take the dog in,” another said.
The video has already been watched over 100,000 times. Taylor said the shelter has been flooded with messages from people interested in adopting Ray Charles. “There are people all over the country who have expressed interest online in adopting him and he has a local rescue willing to pull him if they can get a foster,” she said. “But it’s really all about who takes action and who is the best fit for this good boy. As of right now, he’s still sitting in his kennel waiting to see who shows up.”
Though it would appear Ray Charles’s story is set to have a happy ending, Taylor is keen to highlight the fact there are countless other dogs in need of saving. “There are dogs with very sad stories in shelters all over the country—including the shelters in our backyards,” she said. “Those dogs would love for more folks to get involved locally.”
She also hopes Ray’s story highlights the need to have plans in place for pets should the unthinkable happen. “It’s so important to have a care plan in place for them in case we ever face health emergencies,” Taylor said.
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